Everyone in America is scrambling to re-establish their morals and code of living after what we’ve seen these past few months regarding political events and the abhorrent behavior of some in power. As we become increasingly exposed to distasteful and unkind behavior from others, we must self-examine and confirm who we are, our beliefs, and how we want to live going forward, especially if we are to live with any kind of happiness.

Recent events have been especially trying for those of us who have lived for more than 60 years. What we see and hear today is disturbing and so different from what we grew up with—the softer times—when we showed respect for our elders, neighbors, and the authority of the police and teachers, to name a few. For years, we have seen the wearing away of the past ways of living with others, observing common courtesy, and a sense of responsibility for those less fortunate than us.

Today, the idea of anyone finding fault with a child’s behavior has the parent rushing to defend the child and themselves for being less than perfect…and the blame game begins rather than taking on responsibility for their actions. Extend that same negative response to our top leaders, and we’ve become a society of finger-pointing and name-calling. Lies are spread—especially vicious ones—that can and have destroyed the lives of others with bullying tactics, false accusations, and the desire by the presenter to hurt others.

There is no longer the opportunity to express our feelings or opinions about anything without enduring hurtful negative pushback from others who disagree with us. Therefore, little discussion takes place other than defending our beliefs and stance on a subject. Without discussion, there is no meeting of the minds, meaning things end in chaos and anger.

What is the best thing to do for those who want to escape all the negativity? Some may turn to alcohol or smoking pot. However, a happier and more productive solution is to re-examine how we live our lives. We all have an inner voice that tells us whether we are living to our highest good. Remember, life is a chain of choices. We, individually, are where we are in life today because of them.

Are you aware that, according to multiple sources, the average person makes about 35,000 decisions a day? So, we have many opportunities throughout the day to correct any unkindness and not get caught up in the negativity happening today. We must not forget that we are the creators of our lives. If we want to rise above the fray of what goes on around us, we must re-establish and reconnect with our moral beliefs and practices that serve us and others well.

The choice is yours….

Relationships can be tricky. They never remain the same. They are constantly changing like a free-flowing river; it just depends on how many times you put your toe into that river with a thought, word, or action to the degree it changes.

Relationships can be fleeting, like the flash of a smile, or they can endure like a 60-year-plus marriage. They can be loving, like the greeting of a baby at birth, or as destructive as a rape. But each counts. Each is powerful, for that experience becomes a part of who we are, no matter its significance.

Until recently, I thought of the term relationship much like most of us think of it as primarily the relationship or link we have with our significant other or others in our life:  our love connection, our family, our friends, and so forth. But I have grown to realize relationships and connections are much more widespread; we simply need to be aware of them. They are often the synchronicities of life, and we unwittingly play a part in them.

For example, many of us go through periods in our life (particularly when we seek a mate) where we try on relationships like a piece of clothing to see if that person suits us and if that relationship is a “fit.”  There is something about being in that state of mind where it seems easier to discard what doesn’t work without much thought. And yet, it is then that we can most easily affect another in a negative, hurtful way.

But who is to say that may not be part of the larger plan? Maybe being rejected is to allow us to become emotionally determined in the belief of our goodness despite any external judgment of us since the most significant relationship that anyone can have is the relationship one has with itself. Only when we can accept and love ourselves can we experience the most extraordinary relationship of all … one with the Oneness of All That Is. And therein lies the reason for our journey here on earth—the opportunity to experience ALL of life and to be able to connect with others.

At the end of our journey lies our purpose in life and what really matters most:  how much we have loved. And that includes the love of all beyond humans.

How does that work? Most of us can appreciate the relationship and love we have for our pets … particularly in our culture, where we tend to humanize our pets and allow them to ride next to us in the car, accompany us on vacation trips, and wear clothes and accessories fashioned after humans. What beyond that? Because everything is energy, we can have a relationship with anything! It can be as simple as connecting to an individual plant or anything in Mother Nature.

I overheard a woman telling her friend that she had a very “good relationship” with food. But what did she mean? At the time, I thought her comment very odd since, until then, I hadn’t given much thought to having a relationship with food even though I love fine food. The more I thought about it, her statement made sense to me. If we can love something and appreciate it more, we can have a “good relationship” with it. In her case, if we can recognize and honor the animals, fish, vegetables, grains, and fruit that provide for us, it allows us to connect with them, thereby establishing a relationship with them.

Isn’t that the way all “good relationships” work? It is when we love, honor, and respect those we encounter, even in a small way, without expecting or demanding anything in return. As we become more aware of those around us, human or not, the number of potentially good relationships is without limit, and our world can become filled with the joy of living in ways beyond what we could have imagined. How blessed we are!

“A single rose can be my garden… a single friend, my world.”  ~Leo Buscaglia